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68 T R IATHLETE FEBRUARY 2015 T R IATH

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trsitiotlk:

SPEED TACTICS

FOR T1 AND T2

TRANSITION BAG CHECPRE-RACE/SWIM

Race kit (akatriathlon suit)

Wetsuit Swim cap (usuallyprovided by the race)

Goggles (bring tintedgoggles for sunnyconditions, and itsa good idea to havean extra pair in yourbag)

Timing chip and strap Skin lubricant, suchas Body Glide (slath-er any spot thatmight be irritated bya seam or by skin-on-skin rubbing; payspecial attention toyour neck if wearinga wetsuit)

Sunscreen

Warm-up clothes Pump Pre-race nutrition Latex or light cottongloves (preventsmicro-tears whenpulling on your wet-suit from fingernailsor too-hard pulling)

Plastic bags osocks (put onfoot to help pwetsuit on)

Lip balm

T1/BIKE Small towel (hto dry off fee

Bike shoes Bike helmet Water bottle sports drink owater, plus anon-the-bike n

Sunglasses Flat kit (on bik

T2/RUN Race belt and Nutrition/hyd Run shoes Elastic shoela

(to save time tying your sho

Socks (if wea Hat or visor

POST-RACE Protein-rich s Dry clothes aflops

Angela NaethMake it as simple as possible. ForT1 focus on three things in order:wetsuit off, helmet/glasses andshoes. Bombarding your transitionwith extra towels and gear will onlymake it more difficult to focus on thethree simple tasks. If it is cold, anadditional task of putting on a vestmakes sense.

Mirinda CarfraeRun through the flow of transition inyour mind multiple times before youstart the race. Once you have beenthere in your mind it will becomesecond nature during the race.

Cameron DyePractice your transitions. It seemsobvious, but during the race is notthe time to try your first-ever flyingmount, or put on your cycling shoeswhile riding. Practice your transitionsduring workouts leading up to therace so that you know what youneed, and have a plan for both T1and T2.

Andy PottsKeep it smooth. It can be hard toperform fine motor skill movementswith your heart beating like a jack-hammer, so try to focus on calming

your breathing and being deliberateand efficient. Smooth is fast.

4Coming into T2, dismount at the designated line

and run with your bike to your transition spot

(rehearse your route in and out of both transitions

before the race). Leave your helmet strapped until youhave racked your bike. Quickly swap your shoes, and

grab your race belt, hat and any necessary nut rition, and

run out of T2 while you are putting on your race belt and

stashing your nutrition into your pockets.

We asked the pros to give us their best advice for gettingthrough both transitions without wasting time.

Alicia KayePut your run shoes on the side of thebike that you run with your bike on inT2. I run on the left side of my bike,because I like to push the bike withmy right hand. So in T2 my shoes areon the left side of my small transitionarea. This way I dont have to takethe extra 3 seconds to get to theother side of my bike to access myshoes. Every second counts!

Sarah HaskinsFind the most efficient route to yourspot from the swim, returning in fromthe bike and exiting transition to therun. It is a horrible feeling to be lostin the transition area, not to mentionthat you will be losing time! Try prac-ticing the day before or prior to racestartwhenever transition is markedand set up.

Linsey CorbinFor Ironman races I like to put mynutrition in a Ziploc baggie [for T2]:salt tabs and 3-5 CLIF gels. Ratherthan sorting through piles of stuffin the change tent, I just grab myZiploc baggie and get going on myrun. Once I settle into my pace I canopen up the baggie and put a fewgels in pockets and organize myselfa bit.

1Begin removing your wetsuit

as youre exiting the swim,

pulling it down to your waist while

youre running. Pull off your cap

and goggles, but be sure not todrop them for risk of a gear aban-

donment penalty.

2When you arrive at

your bike, remove the

remainder of your wetsuit,

put on your helmet and

glasses, then your bike

shoes (depending on your

comfort level with the flying

mount, your bike shoes

may already be clipped intoyour pedals). Dont forget

your race number belt if the

race requires you to wear it

for the bike leg (check the

athlete information packet

for this rule).

3Get on your bike at the desig-

nated mount line, or perform

a flying mount if youve practicedthis helpful transition skill. For a

video tutorial, go to Triathlete.com/

flyingmount.

ILLUSTRATIONBYOLIV

ERBAKER